By Allison Sit
The FDA recently issued warning letters to three companies for selling unapproved new drugs for mole and skin tag removal, according to a news release. Amazon.com, Ariella Naturals and Justified Laboratories received the warnings and must respond to the FDA with actions taken to address any violations. There are no FDA-approved over-the-counter drug products for the removal of moles and skin tags. The FDA also issued a consumer warning that noted products marketed for removing moles and other skin lesions can cause injuries and scarring.
“The agency’s rigorous surveillance works to identify threats to public health and stop these products from reaching our communities,” said Donald D. Ashley, J.D., director of the Office of Compliance in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “We will continue to work diligently to ensure that online retailers do not sell products that violate federal law.”
The CDC says people with exfoliative skin conditions are at a higher risk of severe monkeypox, according to interim clinical guidance. The CDC includes people with a history or presence of atopic dermatitis, and those with active eczema, burns, impetigo, varicella zoster virus infection, herpes simplex virus infection, severe acne, severe diaper dermatitis with extensive areas of denuded skin, psoriasis, or Darier disease (keratosis follicularis).
The CDC says many people infected with monkeypox have a “mild, self-limiting disease course,” yet the prognosis depends on multiple factors. The CDC says patients with exfoliative skin conditions may be considered for treatment following consultation with the CDC. While there is currently no treatment approved specifically for monkeypox, the CDC says antivirals developed for use in patients with smallpox may prove beneficial.
Research in JAMA Dermatology finds Asian psoriasis patients have shorter dermatology exams than patients of other racial and ethnic groups. Kevin K. Wu, MD, and April W. Armstrong, MD, MPH, performed a cross-sectional study of data from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2010 through 2016, to evaluate the association between patient race and ethnicity and visit duration for psoriasis care with a dermatologist.
Researchers found the mean duration of visits was 9.2 minutes with Asian patients, 15.7 minutes with Hispanic or Latino patients, 20.7 minutes with non-Hispanic Black patients, and 15.4 minutes with non-Hispanic white patients.
“This study supports the results of previous studies in which Asian patients were found to be less likely to receive counseling from physicians compared with white patients,” the authors wrote. “Paradoxically, Asian individuals tend to present with more severe psoriasis compared with individuals of other races and ethnicities. It is possible that factors, such as unconscious bias, cultural differences in communication, or residual confounding may be responsible for the observed findings.”
